Ice cream freezing tray



Nov. 20, 1934 M, G OR ON v 1,931,010

ICE CREAM FREEZING TRAY Filed Dec. 8. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "man/ i i5 EA; 4% /2 7 I g I l I/ ll III .79 i 13/ i f/m I A I I: fi Q I I D .17 535/ 4 7| 3 3732 3 i 5 INVENTOR. 27 l N19,? 77/V a roam/v ,7 m BYATTORNEY.

Nov. 20, 1934.

M. G. oRsoN' ICE CREAM FREEZING TRAY Filed Dec. 8, 1931 2 Sheets-SheIII/11111111 INVENTOR. /7/9fi77/V G TORSON ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 20, 1934 UNITED s'r rEs PATENT OFFICE This inventionrelates to ice cream freezing devices for use in iceless refrigerators.

The general object of the invention is to provide an ice cream freezingdevice for use in iceless refrigerators which includes mechanicallyoperated stirring means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the classdescribed including a container built in the freezing compartment of therefrigerator and the container including stirring means which isoperated by an electric motor also built in the refrigerator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the classdescribed including a container removably mounted in the freezingcompartment of the refrigerator and the container .including stirringmeans which is operated by an electric motor built in the refrigerator.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of theclass described wherein means is provided for stopping the stirringdevice when the substance being frozen reaches a certain viscosity.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator embodying the features ofmy invention.

Fig. 2 is a central sectional view through my improved ice creamfreezer, showing a portion of the driving mechanism in elevation and aportion in section.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3, Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a slight modification of myinvention.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7-7, Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line H of Fig. '6.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, I have indicated myinvention as designed for use with a refrigerator indicated generally at10.

This refrigerator is preferably electrically operated and may be of anydesired character, although preferably it will contain a freezingcompartment and a refrigerating device whichis' preferably operated byan electric motor.

As is customary with refrigerators of this type, the freezingcompartment 11 contains shelves 12 on which material to be frozen may beplaced.

According to my invention, I secure on the lower shelf 12 by a pluralityof bolts 12' a container 13 which is preferably cylindrical in shape andwhich is provided with an aperture 14 having a closure 15. The freezeris preferably charged through the opening 14 after which'the closure 15can be secured in place. One end of the container 13 is threaded as at16 to receive a threaded closure 1']. This threaded closure films acentral boss 18' thereon which is provided with a cavity 19 to serve asa bearing for one end of a shaft 20 of a stirring device 21. This shaft20has'hubs 22 secured thereby by pins 22' and from the hubs inclinedradial members 23 extend. The ends of. the radial members 23 areconnected by bars 25 as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Opposite the closure 1'! the.container 13 is provided with an aperturedboss 26 which receives a shaft 27. This shaft 27 is enlarged at one endwhere it is provided with a rectangular socket 28 to receive arectangular head 29 on the shaft 20. The construction is such that whenthe closure 17 is removed, the shaft 20 and associated parts may beremovedfrom the container to allow the ice cream therein to be removed.

The boss 28 includes a'packing gland 30 to prevent leakage "along theshaft 2'1 out of the container 13.

In the rear of the container 13 I provide a compartment 31 in which anelectric motor 32 is positioned. The armature shaft of the motor 32includes a gear 33 which meshes with a gear- 34 secured to a shaft 35mounted in bearings 36. Also secured to the shaft 34 I provide a gear 37which meshes with a gear 38 secured to a shaft 39 which is mounted in abearing 40.

The gear 38 includes an enlarged hub 41 which is mounted in a bearing 42and includes a rectangular recess 43. As clearly shown in Fig. 5

the shaft 27 includes a reduced rectangular end portion 44 which isadapted to be positioned in the rectangular recess 43 of the gear 38.The end portion 44 of the shaft 27 includes a spring pressed ball snapconnection device 45 the ball of which is adapted to engage an annularrecess 46 provided in the hub 41 of the gear 38.

The motor 32 may be operatively connected to a source of electric energyin any desired manner.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the motor 32 is startedit will rotate'the shaft 20 in the container 13 through the medium ofthe shaft 2'? and the gear train just described.

For controlling the motor 32 .I provide an overload switch 47 which maybe of any desired type including a reset lever 48. I preferably use theoverload switch 47 also as a starting switch. The reset lever 48 of theoverload switch extends downwardly through an aperture 49 in the shelf12 and is adapted to be engaged by a push rod 50 mounted in bearings 51on the underside of the shelf 12. At the forward end of the rod 50 Iprovide an enlarged loo' ' head 52 and surrounding the rod between thehead 52 and. the adjacent hearing 51 I provide aoverload switch 47 andstarting the motor which rotates the stirring device 21 as previouslydescribed.

When the viscosity of the substance in the container 13 reaches acertain point and excessive strain is put on the motor 32 the overloadswitch 47 cuts out and stops the motor 32. When the overload switch 47cuts out, the reset lever 48 is moved from the full line position shownin Fig. 2-to the dotted line position.

In Fig. 6 I show a slight modification of my invention wherein thecontainer 69 is provided with a closure 21 which may be held in place bythumb nuts 52. This closure has a boss 63 thereon which receives andacts as a bearing for the end of the shaft 64; The shaft 64 of astirring device 65 has radial members 66 thereon which are connected bybars 67 similar to the stirring device 21 previously described.

The other end of the shaft 64 passes through an apertured boss 68 whichincludes a packing gland 69 to prevent leakage along the shaft.

The container 60 is provided with a base 79 having flanges 71 thereonwhich fit beneath uides 72 on the shelf 12.

In the rear of the container 60 I provide a compartment 73 in which Iprovide an electric motor 74 having a gear 75 on the armature shaftthereof which mesheswith a gear 76 secured to a shaft 77 mounted inbearings 78.

Also secured to the shaft '77 I provide a gear 79 which meshes with agear 86 secured to a shaft 81 which is mounted in a bearing 82. The gear89 includes an enlarged hub 83 which is mounted in a bearing 84 andincludes a rec- .tangular recess 85. The shaft 64 includes a reducedrectangular end portion 86 which is adapted to be positioned in therecess 85 of the gear 80. The end portion 86 of the shaft 64 includes aspring pressed ball connection device 87, the ball ofwhich is adapted toengage a coacting recess in the hub of the gear 80 similar to the ballof the connection 45 shown in Fig. 5. The motor '74 may be operativelyconnected to a source of electric energy in any desired manner.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the motor 74 is startedit will rotate the shaft 64 in the container 60 through the medium 'ofthe gear train just described.

by a spring 95. To restrict upward movement of the finger 94 I-provide astop 96 on the rod 92.

.the finger 94 continues to move rearwardly it Secured to the rear wallof the refrigerator just past the point of throw of the reset lever 91 Iprovide a member 97 having an inclined cam face 98. At the forward endof the rod 92 I provide an enlarged head 99 and surrounding the rod 92between the head 99 and the bearing 93 I provide a coiled spring 190which resiliently'urges the rod 92 forwardly.

For restricting the forward movement of the rod'92 I provide on the roda collar 101.

When it is desired to freeze a substance in the container 69 thecontainer is removed from the refrigerator, the closure member 61removed from the container and the desired ingredients placed in thecontainer. The closure 61 is then replaced and the container 60 placedin the refrigerator. As the container is moved rearwardly therectangular portion 86 of the shaft 64 enters the rectangular recess ofthe gear 80 and at the same time the end of the container engages thehead of the rod 92 and moves the rod 'rearwardly. As the rod 92 movesrearwardly the end of the finger 94 engages the reset lever. 91 adjacentthe lower end thereof and swings it rearwardly about its pivotal point.When the reset lever reaches the point where it resets the overloadswitch the end of the lever 91 has swung up out of the path of thefinger 94. As

engages the cam surface 98 of the member 97 and is swung downwardly asshown in Fig. 6.

When the overload switch 90 is reset it starts the motor '74 whichdrives the stirring device as previously described.

When the viscosity of the substance being frozen in the container 69reaches a certain point where an excessive strain is placed on the motor74 the overload switch 90 throws out thereby stopping the motor andtheaction of the stirring device 65.

When the overload switch 90 throws out it moves the reset lever 91 fromthe full line position shown in Fig. 6 to the dotted line position andwhen the container is removed from the refrigerator the finger-94 of therod 92 moves 129 under the end of the reset lever until it reaches itsforward position where the spring 95 moves it upward to its initialposition wherein it can again engage the reset lever.

From the foregoing description it will be 125 apparent that I haveprovided a novel freezing device which is simple in construction andemcient in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In an iceless refrigerator including a freezing compartment and ahousing having a motor therein, a container adapted to be placed in saidcompartment, a rotatable stirring device in said container, a motor,means operable automatically on the insertion of said container intosaid compartment to cause said motor to start, means whereby said motorrotates said stirring device and an electrically operated overloadswitch associated with said stirring device and said motor, meanswhereby when the viscosity of the substance being frozen in saidcontainer reaches a certain point the overload switch will cause theoperation of said motor to be dis-' continued and means operableautomatically on the insertion of the receptacle into the compartment toactuate the overload switch to set position.

MAR'ITN G. TORSON.

